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| Q&A: Michael Brooke - Publisher, Concrete Wave Magazine (7141 Posts)
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Toll Free ESP
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On 6/26/2007
Rich Sayers
wrote in from
United States
(66.117.nnn.nnn)
Hi Michael. My 3 guesses:
1 800 concret [e] (1 800 266 2738)
1 800 wave mag (1 800 928 3624)
1 800 sk8 wave (1 800 758 9283)
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we are getting a toll free number & will accept visa for subscriptions
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On 6/25/2007
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.93.nnn.nnn)
It goes live on Wednesday..free prize to the person who can guess what it is...
it isn't 1-800-CONEGUY
I will however move this mag into the 21st century by accepting Visa...next up is indoor plumbing!
Operators (aka ME) will be standing by to accept your order....
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cab and helmets
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On 6/24/2007
slim
wrote in from
United States
(75.61.nnn.nnn)
No doubt Steve Caballero is one of the good guys of skateboarding. Glad you ran into him at Sunnyvale, Rich.
On the helmetless cover, I'm fine with it. I nearly always wear one of vert these days (i'm 38). If we're going to advocate rules, I'd prefer to see a rule against photographs of guys the "ghetto gown" t-shirts so long they go past their rear ends and past their elbows, ha! Next up would be banning girl pants on guys.
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ID's for photo below
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On 6/23/2007 Rich Sayers
wrote in from
United States
(71.204.nnn.nnn)
Left to Right: Rich Sayers, Steve Caballero, Hung Chang. Hung "H.C." Chang is the founder of BASA (Bay Area Skateboard Association), which has a Forum on NCDSA.com.
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Go Skateboarding Day
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On 6/23/2007
Rich Sayers
wrote in from
United States
(71.204.nnn.nnn)
Who participated in Go Skateboarding Day this Thursday June 21st?
I knew Go Skateboarding Day would be fun because Steve Caballero had planned to meet me at the Sunnyvale Skate Park. When MoFo and Tony Trujillo showed up later, it made the day that much cooler! It's great to spend time with Cab because he is a super nice guy who does not show any 'pro ego.' A true ambassador for the sport.
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Naphte Digital Magazine -The answer
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On 6/22/2007
Alex Lavoie
wrote in from
Canada
(70.80.nnn.nnn)
Hey! Download Naphte Digital Magazine on our totally new website: www.naphte.com .
It's free, it's great, and the quality is totally amazing.
You can send it, share it, read it, trash it, save it, burn it to a CD, read it again, even bring it to a meeting on your laptop… just don't forget to turn off the audio or you'll get caught!
We're not a movement, we're a revolution!
Converting to a digital-only publication was part of our original business plan. We've been planning on it since before our first print issue was released, and we've done our homework. As my longtime friends and colleagues know, I've always promoted digital tools because of my faith in their amazing power and potential.
Thanks, and keep on downloading Naphte. We want to reach 50,000 readers!
More alive than ever!
Alex Lavoie
Owner Naphte Digital Magazine
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Naphte Magazine Goes 100% digital
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On 6/22/2007
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.93.nnn.nnn)
The Life and Afterlife of Naphte Magazine
About three years ago, a magazine about longboarding, surfing and snowboarding emerged from Quebec City, Canada. It was printed on gorgeous paper and had wonderful photography. It celebrated the board lifestyle and provided readers with some terrific eye candy. The magazine was called Naphte, which is some sort of compound. One of Naphte’s unique features was the fact that it was written in both English and French.
As someone with intimate knowledge of what it is like to publish a niche skateboard mag, I can tell you that Naphte was impressive to look at and to hold. It oozed style, class and quality. Naphte made me feel that there was momentum behind this movement of change within skateboarding. While it might be puzzling to read this, I must tell you that competition within skateboard mags is a healthy thing. It keeps everyone on their toes - readers, advertisers and of course the magazine staff itself.
Naphte was available on the newsstand here in Toronto, but the cover price of $10.95 (subsequently dropped to $8.95) was a little tough to get my head around. I am sure they had pretty good sales in Quebec and France. A while back Naphte decided to put their entire edition online. This resulted in about 25,000 or so downloads, which is pretty impressive. Yesterday, I downloaded their latest issue (the buyers guide) and I was incredulous to read that they have now decided to go completely digital. That’s right, folks, no more paper.
The reasons that Napte give for going exclusively digital are laid out in their editorial. You can download the 40 mb file here: www.naphte.com. If you don’t feel like doing that, I can tell you that they feel the future of magazines is digital. They believe that they can reach more people by putting the magazine on the net. They also feel it’s pretty cool to be able to have hyperlinks and embedded video. And of course, it’s pretty environmentally friendly not having to use any trees or truck magazines around. They are correct on all accounts but I sense that if they had received more subscriptions, advertising revenue and had better sales on the newsstand, there still would be a print version of Naphte.
Look, I am painfully aware that the internet has made information virtually free (although pop up ads can tax you to death). You can spend hours amusing and informing yourself at hundreds of skate websites. The fact that you are reading this proves the validity of the internet in spreading ideas.
But we don’t live in a digital world 100% of the time. The world outside of a screen is tangible and tactile. It’s human nature to want to take a break from a screen. The beautiful reproduction of a photo speaks to something deep inside. The portability and lasting nature of a printed document cannot be dismissed. You can bookmark all the sites you want and make print outs of all the articles that you see fit, but you’ll never be able to create the timecapsule found within the pages of a beautifully printed magazine. The fact is that I have seen the new digital issue of Naphte. It’s great, but I have no way to keep a memory of it. I still have my Vol 1 No 1 of the printed version of Naphte and I will keep it for many, many years.
This is not to beat up on digital magazines. I just released a test version of a digital edition of CW that you can download here: http://www.bnqt.com/concreteMagazine/ I sincerely hope you enjoy it but I also hope that you look for the printed version too! As many of you might have guessed, publishers are scrambling to figure out a way to stay in the black as the internet steamrolls over their business model.
As someone who was on the web back in 94 and had a website up and running by 1995, I realized a long time ago that the world of publishing was going to get blindsided by the internet unless publishers took a hard look at what it was they were providing. It’s not just ink on paper. It’s not just information. If you want to be a successful independent niche publisher and hold your own against the big guys (who sell more in one issue than you would sell in a few years!) then you have to act as the catalyst around a specific community. But once you’ve got this community going, you better service the hell out of them, because their interest will wither and fade. Provide excellent service and create a strong bond and you will continue to thrive.
But it’s difficult to do this. It requires that publishers spend an incredible amount of effort in BOTH worlds (online and offline). It requires publishers to be open and honest and share with the public the intimate details of what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s what I strive to do with Concrete Wave. It’s more than a magazine - it’s a movement. And if you’ve read this far, you know that you are a part of this movement.
I salute Naphte for what they achieved in the three years they published. They stoked out a lot of folks and
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Subscriptions and Stuff
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On 6/16/2007
Mr Discombobulated
wrote in from
United States
(65.122.nnn.nnn)
Hey M.B., Here's my email on the "email-name click thingy", unfortunately we don't have a computer at home and the system where I work won't let us use the "email-name click thingy", I still do need to write the check and send it. Thanks - Paul Howard
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discombobulated...
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On 6/14/2007
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.93.nnn.nnn)
email me your new address...i'll get you on there
cheers
michael
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Oops .......
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On 6/13/2007 Paul Howard
wrote in from
United States
(65.122.nnn.nnn)
Hey MB, Sorry, I thought I sent a check already but my Wife an I just bought a house and moved and I got all discombobulated. I don't know the story with James. Thanks - Paul
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couple of comments...
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On 6/11/2007
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.93.nnn.nnn)
We've been mixing covers up for a while-some have helmets/safety gear, others do not...and some like the VCJ covers are not applicable. For me, it's about THE SHOT. In fact, we did have another photo on deck for this issue that featured a guy with a helmet, but we went with this shot because it worked better (and it worked better from a number of different perspectives).
CW probably has more shots of skaters with safety gear than 5 other skate mags combined. But, as you point out, they are INSIDE the mag..not on the cover.
We need to keep pushing things forward and this means we need more women in the mag...and on the cover....we need a full representation of skaters from AROUND the world...and yes, we need more covers with helmets/safety gear.
As for you subs Paul and James...they expired. So, best thing to do would be to paypal me at mbrooke@interlog.com and get it renewed...the new issue ships this week!
cheers
Michael
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I never got the last issue
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On 6/9/2007 Paul Howard
wrote in from
United States
(65.122.nnn.nnn)
Hey Brooksie, I and James Peters never got the issue with Steve Daddow on the cover, if you could look into that we'd appreciate it. Thanks - Pauliwog
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Cover / Helmet safety
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On 6/9/2007
Rich Sayers
wrote in from
United States
(71.202.nnn.nnn)
Cover photo looks great and the flying dreadlocks add to the aesthetics. However, this does raise the issue - should at least one skate magazine strive to make leadership by example the # 1 priority and run only covers where the rider has a helmet on?
Anyone else posting about this topic - would be interesting to know your age. I'm 44 and learned to skate vert at 40 years old. My minimum gear for vert is helmet, elbow, knee, hip and tail bone pads, wrist guards. Most times when the terrain is over 6 feet tall I wear knee sleeves under the knee pads and Crash Pads shorts with additional hip pads underneath!
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Concrete Wave•Summer 2007
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On 6/8/2007
Adam
wrote in from
United States
(198.144.nnn.nnn)
I guess the airborne, helmetless, padless Wagner Ramos hasn't read the Safety Gear Symposium piece yet.
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cover shot
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On 6/8/2007
Markintosh
wrote in from
Canada
(74.111.nnn.nnn)
Cover shot:
Wagner Ramos. Photo: Dan Bourqui
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Concrete Wave•Summer 2007
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On 6/8/2007
Markintosh
wrote in from
Canada
(74.111.nnn.nnn)
Vol.6 Nº1. Summer 2007. Enjoy new issue!
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awesome!
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On 6/6/2007
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.93.nnn.nnn)
that guy is a one cool dude....
Chris Yandall - inventor of the Samoan Squat...who remembers his hamburger feet shot?
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Chris Yandall
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On 6/5/2007
Cat
wrote in from
United States
(67.117.nnn.nnn)
Michael, see how stoked Chris is at scoring a Concrete Wave!!
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45 at 45 Tour
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On 6/3/2007
Rich Sayers
wrote in from
United States
(24.23.nnn.nnn)
I will celebrate my 45th Birthday in October by skating at 45 different Northern California skate spots (mostly concrete skate parks). Michael Brooke is stoked on this and said Concrete Wave will run a piece in the magazine. With that in mind, any photographers and video camera hobbyists that want to see their photos in a magazine (or video work online), contact me via the email link in this post. The skateparks I will visit are located in SF Bay Area, Sacramento Area, Tracy / Ripon area and Monterey / Santa Cruz area.
For more information, visit the 45 at 45 Tour website:
http://45at45.com
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new issue on its way...
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On 6/1/2007
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.93.nnn.nnn)
it's coming..and it's massive..
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check out
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On 5/17/2007 cabbaGe
wrote in from
United States
(76.100.nnn.nnn)
my daddy day care thread....my 3 year old got his 2nd pool, super pround stay at home sk8 dad..hahahaha
http://forums.oldmanarmy.com/viewtopic.php?t=4377
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pro tec
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On 5/17/2007 cabbaGe
wrote in from
United States
(76.100.nnn.nnn)
Insane.....yes....yeah Buddy rep'n the CW....sick contest, the web feed was the sh@#....live web feed is the future of sk8 events...slalom needs to be all over that...If you know anyone that has a web feed business and needs a good anouncer let me know, I'm look'n to get into the business...I could feel the energy through the computer..
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hi
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On 5/13/2007
michael brooke
wrote in from
United States
(207.200.nnn.nnn)
thanks rene!
great to see you, bobby and Mama
Marty will check out that pic!
head still spinning from the trip
pro tec contest was insane!
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ThE BroOKe ...
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On 5/13/2007
Rene CANNONBALL Carrasco
wrote in from
United States
(71.134.nnn.nnn)
-------------------------------------------
Mike -
great havin' dinner tonight with you, Richy, Maria, Mom,
and Big Joe @ Los Sanchez, in Garden Grove, California !
I've been trying to scan this photo to post -
but I can't get this new HP Printer to get it done.
Oh well.
I guess you'll have to settle for this
2001 photo @ Carrasco House.
The new Concrete Wave Mag issue looks GREAT !
( -That mag will soon be as thick as a phone book ! )
Take care,
.............-Rene Carrasco.
>>> P.S. ~ HaPpY BiRtHDaY to Pepe ! <<<
--------------------------------------------
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GREAT Pic....
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On 5/12/2007
Marty / LCB
wrote in from
United States
(74.160.nnn.nnn)
Michael,
Check the pic of Kenny over on the Gong Show. Serious mag material...It reminds me of a picture Warren would take.
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